Burning bridges: the anti-social nature of social media
January 22, 2026 9:39 PM
The Internet is continuing to have a considerable effect on the media. The development of iPhone and iPad applications, the pervasive use of Twitter amongst journalists, and the increasing portion of newspaper budgets dedicated to employing new-media editors or online editors clearly points towards a new era in media.
Despite its many benefits, it’s not all good, a fact that the Xaverian staff members came face to face with, while attending the 73rd annual national Canadian University Press/ Presse Universitaire Canadienne (CUP/PUC) conference in Montreal. The conference, entitled Collage, was the result of collaboration between Le Délit and the McGill Daily, the two papers which run out of McGill University in Montreal. As such, some of the main goals of the conference included the fostering of a bilingual national student newspaper organization, and increased bilingual co-operation.
This focus on language made Josée Boileau, the Editor-in-Chief of Le Devoir, an obvious choice as a keynote speaker. Le Devoir is a French-language paper with a rich history within Quebec of focusing on such noteworthy issues as Quebec sovereignty. Le Devoir is one of only four independent newspapers in Canada, a fact that should resonant with Canadian student newspapers who hold their independence close to their hearts.
Sounds like a perfect opportunity for aspiring young journalists to learn about the nature of journalism in the context of the unique history and culture of Quebec, right? Wrong.
Those attending the lecture created a fake Twitter account for Le Devoir, dangerously close to their real Twitter account and most of the posts made by NASH attendees included the hashtag #nash73. Therefore, the tweets became public to those who may have been searching for the real account, on top of associating all of the members of CUP with this immature and unprofessional behaviour.
Some charming examples: Le_devoir: Dear @----- To be honest, I know nothing about that, but I would be willing to tell you pointless shit for an hour or so. #nash73 Le_devoir: Does anyone have any photos of tonight’s keynote? Burn them.
I can imagine that Boileau was faced with a sea of faces illuminated by the blue light of their cell phones, and I do not want to imagine how she felt when she inevitably learned what hundreds of thumbs were busying themselves with, as she spoke.
Beyond this, one photo printed in CUP’s daily conference newsletter shows two individuals sitting directly in front of Boileau falling asleep.
Later in the week during National Plenary, Le Délit put forward a motion, seconded by the McGill Daily,that stated that all members of CUP would stop following the fake account, that a letter of apology would be sent to Boileau and that the issue of respectful use of social media would be addressed and enforced.
While the motion was passed 22 votes for, 16 against, with several papers abstaining, there was general uproar in the room over the suggestion that social media be controlled in any way. There were murmurings online about freedom of speech, while others preferred to express their opinions more simply: “It was fun, calm down” stated one journalist from the Peak, at Simon Fraser University.
Yes, the Internet is largely anonymous, and as a general rule, biting and critical. The Internet also has the annoying habit of being rather permanent, and the fact that (in the simplest of terms) certain CUP members made asses out of the whole organization will be present on the web forever.
Those who found the tweets funny hold nothing more than a narcissistic delusion about their comedic talents.
It absolutely boggles the mind that despite the fact that several representatives from francophone papers stood up and expressed their frustration, embarrassment and anger at the incident, certain members of anglophone papers consistently defended their actions.
That such a blatant display of unprofessional and ignorant behaviour, with no regard for the consequences (not only for the individual but for the national organization, representing over 90 papers), was displayed by those individuals who will eventually hold positions at national media organizations is disheartening.
Were we really naive enough to think that rules and ethics governing journalists’ actions do not apply to what we write online? After all, anonymous commentators are increasingly being sued for defamation by those they attack. By using the hashtag #nash73, the tweeters implicated the whole organization in their immature circus.
While it may seem ‘sexy and hip’ to advertise our bilingual status, certain members of CUP have proven themselves to be nothing more than fair weather friends.
The francophone papers of Canada will never be like the anglophone papers. I can’t imagine them wanting to be, and I cannot imagine asking them to be. This is not bad. There is space for difference within CUP; there MUST be space for difference. The dismissal of such a suggestion by one CUP staff member, who suggested that perhaps CUP was not the right organization for french papers clearly demonstrates the arrogant dismissal of multivocality that is crucial in modern journalism.
If things do not change, then I cannot imagine that those francophone papers will have any desire to continue building a relationship with CUP. Losing our connection would severely impact our ability as journalists to engage with Canada as a whole.
The events at NASH 73 clearly demonstrated that CUP is not ready to make space for bilingualism, or co-existence. I left Montreal with a bitter taste in my mouth and clearly many delegates from francophone papers felt the same way.
Mai Anh Tran-Ho of Le Délit recently wrote in response to the incident “À quel prix et jusqu’où dois-je m’avancer sur le pont avant que les anglophones ne me tendent la main?” This very roughly translates to “At what price, and how far must I advance before anglophones support me.” While many anglophone papers, and most disconcertingly, the CUP staff, show hesitance lest they break a nail, I would like to reiterate my, and this paper’s continuing support for the francophone student papers of Canada as they strive for more inclusive journalism.